We Need Nas.
We Need Nas.
We Need Nas.

There, I said it.

A lot of people want to forget about Nas now, act like he's fallen off. They - behind computers - sit and laugh about his marital issues. They still want to talk about Carmen from time time. He signed under Jay-Z when his former adversary was president of Def Jam, they type. They use terms like "Nas stay losing."

They love to tear him down for some reason.

They do this to others as well, but not quite in the same way as Nasir Jones.

But, we need Nas, you know, if you still love Hip-Hop. I'll admit, Nas isn't the "Jesus-snuffing-Illmatic-Stillmatic" dude that we once knew and revered. His body of work has been somewhat spotty. Frankly, his rocket ship didn't quite make it to Hip-Hop Heaven.

But, we need Nas.

I look at the landscape of O.G. rappers that are still doing it and doing it well. There's Jay-Z, Kanye West, there's Jadakiss, Scarface, Snoop Dogg and others that are still doing work. Lyrically, and I do mean purely lyrically, none of them seem to be as thought provoking and provocative as Nas. And that's not disrespect, because most of them have more flair, business acumen, style and personality than Nas puts on display.

What is dope, as well as frustrating, is his natural tendency to be private. He remains mysterious in an era that seems to abhor enigmas. I love the fact that I don't know what Nas' daughter looks like. Sure, I know Nas has a hefty support bill with Kelis, but I don't quite know if they get along. Nas isn't twittering about it. Hell, we don't even know if he was supposed to be on the original version of "Empire State of Mind" with Jay-Z.

I like that. I like not knowing too much. I like a rapper that pays attention to lyrics. I like a rapper that's not afraid to take a break. Not afraid to be an attention LovePeddler. Not afraid to take musical risks.

This leads me to the end of this column.

A few months ago, this collaboration with Damian Marley was the worst thing Nas could ever do, in my humble opinion. First off, I am not the biggest reggae fan, even though I used to do the bogle dance. Glad there was no Youtube back then. But, I have changed my mind on that. This album, titled Distant Relatives, is probably going to "save" Nas' career. After seeing the videos of his performing at SXSW, he's got a renewed energy. He's also got a new cause, a new message and even a team to help him pull this off. This album is more significant than his recent albums.

The main complaint I have with Hip-Hop is the lack of balance in the music. There is no hatred for The South or gangster rap or skinny jeans rappers or whatever else is popular right now. I like it all. And that's all the more reason why we NEED A NAS.

Now, there are other rappers - such as J. Cole, Pac Div, Pill, Juice, Jay Rock - that give hope for that balance we need on a larger scale. There's a lot of hope. But I also hope that we as a community will stop feeding into the desire to deconstruct Nas so much. Let dude be Nas, an amazing lyricist that happens to be the opposite of all that you complain about. Perhaps the hate is some form of displaced love. Maybe we failed to recognize Nas as a human from the onset of his career and really bestowed him with power he never had.

Nas can still make it to Heaven, but we're going to have to help him navigate the ship this time around.

Real talk. We need Nas. ( culled from ALLHIPHOP.COM )

Hehehe . . . quite interesting article.

But I don't get why there's still a question on Nas' relevance, he's being Grammy nominated for 3/4 years running.
If that's not relevant, what about the fact that his last two albums have been main talking issues in every hiphop circle??

He's redefined himself and we love this new Nas that can take up any topic from Queensbridge street stories to the effect of capitalism on Africa and when it comes to 'flossing', he makes the world go round.
So I don't get why this article's got a passive tone of a plea in it.

Nas will go when he wants to, and then, we'll beg him to stay.

What is dope, as well as frustrating, is his natural tendency to be private. He remains mysterious in an era that seems to abhor enigmas. I love the fact that I don't know what Nas' daughter looks like. Sure, I know Nas has a hefty support bill with Kelis, but I don't quite know if they get along. Nas isn't twittering about it. Hell, we don't even know if he was supposed to be on the original version of "Empire State of Mind" with Jay-Z.

All those bling Artist back home and those in America should learn from above.

I don't know about you guy, but I like people who are like this and shy away from public glare. Respect to Nas.

In my opinion, his status is sealed as of the best lyrically and "deliverically" to bless a mic. His raps are nothing but poetry.

This album should be good. I will love to see the direction it takes as this is a whole collaboration album with two artist of different genre.

Applaud Illmatic.

that article is from allhiphop.com.

while the article tries to praise Nas, it belittles him in a way. There can never an 'Hiphop heaven' without Nas in it.

But as a NaS fan, I need just two more albums from him:

A joint album with AZ and another one with Dj Premier.

bgees:

that article is from allhiphop.com.

while the article tries to praise Nas, it belittles him in a way. There can never an 'Hiphop heaven' without Nas in it.

But as a NaS fan, I need just two more albums from him:

A joint album with AZ and another one with Dj Premier.

You know there are three K'naan tracks on the Distant Relatives album??
I'm waiting to see the product of those collabos.

I actually wanna see Nas V J.Cole and a true Nas V Eminem.

Nas never really had all out collabo battles on his albums . . . though he lost to a dead Pac on Godson.

^ Nas vs Eminem is goin to be sick,especially if its a political song.

J.Cole 's storytelling is great.

I actually heard Knaan had a song on the Distant Relatives and that it is the best song on the album. I can't wait.

What game are we talkin' about?
The same guy who said hiphop was dead.
IMHO,any NaS album after Stillmatic is crap.
I don't care if he redefines or mo'defines? his style.

@bgees
You found a leak??
Where did you hear the song??

aieromon:

What game are we talkin' about?
The same guy who said hiphop was dead.
IMHO,any NaS album after Stillmatic is crap.
I don't care if he redefines or mo'defines? his style.

Did you actually listen to HHID the song??
He was more like stopping the ringtone trend and fighting for lyricism to go back into albums.
In my opinion, he suceeded . . .

It's just like Jay-Z's DOA.

eldee:

Did you actually listen to HHID the song??
He was more like stopping the ringtone trend and fighting for lyricism to go back into albums.
In my opinion, he suceeded . . .

It's just like Jay-Z's DOA.

I agree,he suceeded.
Funny thing is,he also shot himself in the a$$.I thank him for helpin' me do away with a whole lottof rap albums including his post-Stillmatic works.

aieromon:

I agree,he suceeded.
Funny thing is,he also shot himself in the a$$.I thank him for helpin' me do away with a whole lottof rap albums including his post-Stillmatic works.

How can you not like Godson??
Whoa!!! Made You Look, Book of Rhymes, Heaven, Last Real Nigga Alive . . . did you happen to miss Get Down??

Hiphop Is Dead is extremely creative . . . even the arrangement of the beats (where it kinda sounds like there was an error), the lyrics and the whole concept.

eldee:

@bgees
You found a leak??
Where did you hear the song??

.

no. i haven't found the song.

aieromon:

What game are we talkin' about?
The same guy who said hiphop was dead.
IMHO,any NaS album after Stillmatic is crap.
I don't care if he redefines or mo'defines? his style.

have u listened to Godsson? the truth is Nas has never made any crap album. they might differ in quality but there is always something special about every album.

even ur favourite rapper Jay z sees Nas and eminem as his only competition.

bgees:

have u listened to Godsson? the truth is Nas has never made any crap album. they might differ in quality but there is always something special about every album.

Yea,the Book of Rhymes and I Can album.At least,its better than Street Disciple.

Article is a piece of bollocks in the sense that, it belittles Nas' relevance in the game. All these bubble gum rappers & attention LovePeddler we see nowadays can't even measure up to his concept. It's frustrating listening to Hip-Hop ever since lyricism was replaced with whatever [b]s[/b]hit they call it now but, Nas' presence in the game is the pillar holding it from total destruction. Yes, Nas is needed more than ever, but dude can't be pulling the string all by himself. Newer emcee gotta be pulling their weights, too. Besides, dude that was talking about Nas' album being [b]s[/b]hit from post-stillmatic, you joking right?!

@eldee
Nah,u got it wrong,it wld ve been better this way

JAY Z'S D.O.A IS LIKE NAS'S HHID,not d other way round